Over 100 IS terrorists killed in Deir Ezzor past 24h — Russia

SANA news agency

October 11, 2017

Russian Defense Ministry said that US-led coalition has sharply reduced the intensity of its attacks on ISIS terrorists’ positions in Iraq following the beginning of military operations of the Syrian Arab Army to liberate Deir Ezzor.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Tuesday that “The continuing supply of terrorists from Iraq raises serious questions about the objectives of operations against terrorists conducted in the region by aircraft of the United States and the so-called international coalition,” adding that in the western part of Iraq, ISIS-controlled territory continues to increase.

Konashenkov affirmed that the actions of the coalition require clarification. “Does such a shift in the US and the coalition’s priorities mean the desire to complicate the operation conducted by the Syrian army supported by Russia’s Aerospace Forces to liberate Syria’s territory east of the Euphrates? Or is it a possibility to liberate Iraq from ISIS terrorists driving them into Syria under the precise airstrikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces?” he questioned.

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Russia’s Aerospace Forces carry out up to 150 strikes per day on ISIS terrorists’ positions near al- Mayadin city in Deir Ezzor supporting the expand military operation of the Syrian army to liberate the city , the largest ISIS positions in Deir Ezzor.

Konashenkov said that over the past 24 hours, Russia’s aerospace group dealt 182 strikes against the positions of ISIS terrorists who had infiltrated to Deir Ezzor province from Iraq.

Two pairs of Sukhoi-34 bombers were commissioned to hit the targets. Fourteen consecutive strikes were made, Konashenkov added.

“Objective monitoring means confirmed the destruction of four tanks, three armored personnel carriers, and nine off-road vehicles armed with heavy machineguns and two multiple rocket launchers. Fifty terrorists were killed and another 30 sealed off in the underground tunnels,” Konashenkov said.

Forty minutes later a Sukhoi-34 bomber carried out another attack against this stronghold to kill another 20 terrorists, who had arrived for evacuating those injured, he added.

“The Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed the economic infrastructure of ISIS in Syria and foiled any attempts by terrorists to resume the production and illegal sale of hydrocarbons in Syria. ISIS no longer has the sources of financing for purchasing weapons and ammunition and recruiting mercenaries in Syria,” he said.

Konashenkov added a command center of ISIS and three groups of terrorists who had arrived from Iraq had been destroyed near Hatla town.

“The elimination of 34 terrorists, five off-road vehicles carrying large caliber weapons and two trucks full of ammunition has been confirmed,” he said.